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Is your 21st CCLC looking to make the most of your program’s homework help and tutoring time? A new professional development resource from Y4Y helps afterschool practitioners establish and manage effective, student-centered homework sessions that actively engage and support them in learning. Materials include an overview of the topic, podcasts, tools, frequently asked questions, and links to external resources.

Citizen science is the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research projects where volunteers and scientists work together to answer real-world questions. National Geographic has compiled a collection of citizen science resources, including articles, videos, and activities. Educators can browse the resources by grade band and subject.

Discovery, Inc. and Discovery Education have partnered to present I Do Solemnly Swear: The U.S. Presidential Inauguration. This behind-the-scenes virtual field trip helps educators, students, and families across the United States and worldwide learn more about the traditions of the U.S. presidential inauguration. Inaugural experts and historians share their perspectives and insights through a series of interviews and provide information about the current administration.

Although the pandemic may have changed how 21st CCLC programs deliver programming, federal requirements for providing 21st CCLC programs have not changed. Y4Y has offered a three-part webinar series to show how virtual and hybrid afterschool programming can be impactful, engaging, and fun. The series includes tools and techniques for virtual and hybrid afterschool settings and examples from practitioners who have successfully transitioned to virtual or hybrid programming.

We know from research that students are more likely to engage in writing activities if the topic interests them. Fan fiction, a type of writing that builds on or takes liberties with existing stories, can help ensure students are writing about a topic of interest. This story from public media station KQED’s MindShift podcast explores how fan fiction can inspire reluctant writers and readers.

Finding out what students are learning remains indispensable to teaching and enrichment. If your 21st CCLC program is offering online programming, this article from Edutopia provides strategies for checking for understanding online. Strategies include quick checks, digital journals and one-pagers, elevator pitches, sharing learning through social media, peer-to-peer evaluations, and virtual exit tickets.

Inquiry skills, or questioning, investigating, reasoning, and taking responsible action, are core concepts informing the Illinois social science standards. To support educators and students with inquiry skills, Illinois Social Science in Action has developed Inquiry-Based Social Science: Instructional Planning and Strategies. This Inquiry Kit provides a collection of resources and ideas to support educators as they create lessons and activities aligned to the Illinois Social Science Standards.

When students creatively engage with historical materials, they can find the study of history more meaningful. This article from Edutopia provides examples of inquiry-based learning history projects such as podcasts and photography. The article shares strategies and lessons learned from the activities.

Inside Mathematics provides online mathematics instruction support for educators around the world. Resources include tools for educators, video lessons, Common Core State Standard resources, performance assessment tasks, and math Problems of the Month with video examples.

A new article from Edutopia explores how educators are integrating math and science with English language arts. The article outlines the benefits of integrating these content areas, provides instructional examples, and discusses how educators address some of the challenges.